1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing reel structures and more particularly pertains to a fly reel for storing and adjustably dispensing fishing line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fishing reel structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, fishing reel structures heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,632 to inventor Yeh discloses a fly-fishing reel having a clicker type brake which utilizes adjustable spring force applied to a pawl of a ratchet to regulate a resistive force against rotation of the reel.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,245 to Sato discloses a brake for a fishing reel which utilizes centrifugal forces to regulate the amount of braking applied to the reel.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,432 to Kaneko which teaches a spinning reel brake in which a drag adjusting knob produces an increased engaging force to a plurality of axially aligned friction plates.
Other known prior art fishing reel structures include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,107,876; 3,185,406; 5,318,245; 4,881,698; 5,301,899; and 5,273,235.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a fly reel for storing and adjustably dispensing fishing line which includes main housing having a center hub projecting therefrom, a spool rotatably mounted over the center hub for receiving and dispensing a fishing line, and a brake assembly mechanically coupled to the spool to allow the spool to rotate freely in a first direction, and to adjustably retard rotation of the spool in a second direction. Further, the prior art does not teach a fly reel of the aforementioned structure wherein the brake assembly includes a cylindrical bearing interposed between the spool and the center hub, a ratchet plate mounted to the cylindrical bearing and engaged by a pawl mounted to the spool when the spool is rotated in the second direction, and a center axle extending through the cylindrical bearing which can be axially biased against the cylindrical bearing to cause a frictional engagement of the ratchet plate with an interior of the main body, thereby retarding rotation of the spool in the second direction.
In these respects, the fly reel according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of storing and adjustably dispensing fishing line.